Ask the Plumber - Handy Tips and FAQ's
Problems With Sewer Pipe Drainage
Pitch on a sewer pipe is a measure of how far a pipe should fall over a certain distance on a horizontal run. A proper pitch is what allows the contents of the pipe to keep moving. If you’re experiencing problems with waste leaving your home, this might be an issue and you should call us. Proper pitch on a sewer pipe is between 1/8th of an inch and ½ inch per foot. For example a four foot long pipe should be ½ inch higher on the front than the end of the pipe.
Many plumbing problems can occur if your pipes weren’t installed with the proper pitch. Water will just sit idle in a pipe that’s completely level. Furthermore, if the water is not moving enough or moving in the proper direction, back-ups will occur far more frequently. This isn’t even the worst of it .
Older homes where drainage and sewer pipes are cast iron may have the worst case scenario. Cast iron rusts when sitting under water. Over time a cast iron pipe full of water will simply rot out through the bottom causing a major sewer leak.
If you have frequent back-ups call us immediately. We’ll have one of our dependable plumbers come out to see that your pipes have the proper pitch for your home.
Ask Us About Slab Leaks
You hear water running in your home but just can’t find it. You know it’s not in your head. Perhaps you have had an unusually high water bill or maybe your entire house is full of water. NE Dallas, it’s time to call your plumber!
The process of locating a slab leak is a complicated one, requiring expensive and highly specialized equipment. The knowledge and skills required to use this type of gear doesn’t come in a bag along with rented equipment.
There’s generally a three-step process for slab leak location. Assuming there is a leak that has been isolated to the inside of the home and no evidence of a leak can be found above ground, it is time to locate the leak underground.
- Locate the pipe. We electronically locate the pipe and mark the ground with masking tape so we know exactly where the pipe is located underground and roughly how deep it is.
- Listen along the length of the pipe with geophones. We use a geodesic headset which is a very powerful stethoscope with a separate microphone for each ear so that we can listen directionally.
- Measure the temperature of the floor along the length of the pipe to find the hot spot.
This applies only to hot water slab leaks.
These steps come as second nature to any of our plumbers. Those without the skills and training to use this type of equipment, along with a full understanding of the processes involved, should not be allowed to start breaking into the slab. Our plumbers undergo continuing education, it’s an advantage you have with us over a handyman or less-qualified company. We’ll take care to detect and repair your leak while we respect your property.
Give us a call immediately at (972) 424-6479 to have one of our licensed, qualified plumbers come out to determine your next course of action.
Water Heaters in Attics
Where is your water heater located? Water heaters can be found in many different areas of a home. Sometimes they are located in a closet, sometimes in a garage. Either of these locations makes sense. However, at some point installing water heaters in attics seemed like a good idea for some. This turned out to be a less than perfect situation. The severity of damage due to leaks greatly increased. Maintenance in replacements became more difficult, especially when put in 2nd floor pull-down attics. Believe it or not it, comes down to closet space. In my opinion, the added ten square feet to the home isn’t worth that much risk. Read more
Here’s the Deal with Dottie’s Deals
Introducing ‘Dottie’s Deals’, where you’ll find our most current plumbing specials. We value each and every one of our customers and want you all to know how much we appreciate you.
Gary’s Quality Plumbing wants to help our customers take care of their homes and properties. We hope these specials will help while a very hot and expensive summer is upon us. Check out the newest tab on our web-site called ‘Dottie’s Deals‘ to find our current promotions. Don’t forget to mention them when you call, and don’t wait till they expire! Check back often, but call today, 972-424-6479.
Detecting a Gas Leak
So, you think might have a gas leak? Locating and repairing a gas leak can be a time consuming and complicated process. Gas companies will tell you to hire a licensed plumber to detect, repair, and permit the finished gas line work.
Gas pipes can be made out of a variety of materials. The gas pipe from the meter to the yard is made out of a specially coated iron riser. This is an L-shaped ridged piece of pipe that the meter hooks on to. Sitting between that riser and another riser at the house is a poly plastic pipe.
Inside of the home the pipe will generally be iron or some type of corrugated stainless steel tubing (CSST). Iron pipe is usually piped up and over the home in the attic with one large main trunk that runs the length of the house. Tees come off of the main line to feed different appliances in the home. If you are dealing with CSST, it will go up from the main line to one central manifold where it feeds an individual line to each appliance in a radial type formation (picture bicycle spokes).
Any of the sections mentioned above are places where a leak could occur. At the meter there are several fittings, including the meter and valve, as well as the top six inches of the riser. Many times subterranean pipes aren’t protected. They should be double wrapped where the riser comes through the ground. A gas leak typically occurs where the connection isn’t wrapped with the special black tape six inches in both directions.
Many types of gas leaks occur outside of the home:
- At the riser on the house end of the pipe
- Connections at the manifold and shut-off valves that have not been properly installed
- Improper installation of flex lines, and gas lines in older homes, that have had pipes run with copper tubing
- Natural gas eats right through copper, especially at connections where the copper has been flared
Homeowners beware when having your roof repaired! A gas line can leak when it has been improperly installed right next to the roof decking. Most of the time roofers don’t look to see what’s under the roof before nailing new roofing down. It’s common for gas pipes, especially CSST, to be punctured by roofing nails.
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Hosed: Outside Faucet Crisis
Summer time is here and most of us have begun watering our lawns, washing our vehicles, and catching up on landscaping projects. Some of us are finding out quickly that this winter’s hard freeze is still reeking havoc on our home’s plumbing systems.
Some of the most common instances of pipes bursting due to a hard freeze are ironically the most preventable. A burst pipe in a wall can cause a lot of damage along with a huge mess in a hurry. Outside faucets (hose bibs) are the most vulnerable fixture in a home due to freezing. They invariably protrude from outside walls and most people will not discover that they froze up until the following spring.
Outside faucets must be frost-proof in order to be up to code. The washer that closes the valve seats up against an opening must be placed far enough back so that the water doesn’t get near the outside where it can freeze, bursting the pipe due to expansion. Read more
Plumbing Repair For Slab Leaks
Summer is here and with that our water bills begin to increase. As we begin watering our lawns again or filling our swimming pools we begin our new water patterns. If you have a water bill that increases from month to month and it doesn’t match your personal water cycle you probably have some type of leak. If there is no sign of an above-ground leak it is most likely slab leak.
Slab leaks can happen anywhere underneath your home where there is a water pipe. There are two types of slab leaks - water and sewer. Hot water slab leaks are more common because slabs react to extreme temperatures by expanding and contracting as the ground heats up and cools down. Turbulence can happen anywhere where the pipe is not round and smooth on the inside causing the water to swirl or eddy. The swirling action of the water can cut right through the pipe.
The most common cause of a slab leak is an unprotected pipe. If the pipe is not protected from the concrete when it is poured it will rub up against the rough concrete as it heats up and cools down or as the foundation shifts. But, many times you will find the pipe itself was damaged during construction of the home. Sometimes pieces of debris get into the trenches, on top of the unprotected pipe, before it is back-filled.
If you think you have a slab leak or any type of leak call a qualified plumber. Your plumber will come out and do a pressure test in your yard and home. If the yard is isolated and the house won’t hold pressure then there is a problem in the house or something leaking above ground that is not evident. In any case, it is always a good idea to have a licensed plumber take a look. You will be on your way to enjoying your summer with peace of mind!
Not-So-Obvious Plumbing Leaks
How can you tell if you have a plumbing leak if the floor isn’t soaked and water isn’t pooling? Most of the time you’ll probably be aware that you have a plumbing leak. You might hear a commode noisily filling on its own or see a faucet dripping. Perhaps, you’ve experienced a flood. But, many times more serious problems can go unnoticed. This article will address a couple of different not-so-obvious plumbing leaks – water leaks underground and drainage and sewer leaks.
Water leaks underground can be illusive even if you know that you have one. Unless you know what to look for you might not be aware of an underground water leak until it has caused a serious problem. (ie. foundation problems).
Squishy spots in your yard that don’t dry out are an indicator that you have a yard leak or leak between the meter and shutoff valve in the front of your house. If your water bill is consistently higher from month to month you should call a plumber. A hydrostatic pressure test will be performed and within minutes it will be evident if you are dealing with a water leak.
Shower pans and commodes in pier and beam foundation homes can leak for quite some time and cause substantial damage, invisibly at first. This type of leak can rot the wood beneath homes and create unsanitary moist conditions that attract rodents, termites, and other pests. If you live in a pier and beam home have a plumber come out and visually inspect the underside of your home, at least once a year.
Leaks on the main sewer line can also be difficult to find as the bottom half of the pipe is often underground even in pier and beam homes. Drainage and sewer leaks are so difficult for a homeowner to diagnose is because it’s not under any pressure. The only time it has a chance to leak is if you’ve used water in the home. A qualified plumber can test the system by either capping the system off at all of the fixtures and filling it with smoke or water. Smoke will escape through openings in the pipe pinpointing the leak. Or, the water level will drop over time if it is full of water.
In conclusion, water and sewer leaks when left undetected can cause substantial damage to the structure of your home. Not to mention, the expense of running water into the ground. Whether or not water is going to your sewer, you’re still charged a sewer bill based on your water consumption.
Once leaks are repaired it’s possible to recover some of the sewage bill if you can demonstrate that you had a water leak. In most cases refunds will not be issued on your water bill. It’s a good idea to have your plumbing systems periodically tested by a licensed plumber. Knowing that you don’t have a water leak can really bring you peace of mind.
Spring is Time for Shower Repair Projects
Spring is here and its time to take care of those projects around your home. While you may be able to easily deal with some issues, some projects are better left to a professional. Shower repair is one of those projects that is best when left to a licensed and reliable plumber.
How can you tell what aspect of the shower needs repair? Read more
Plumbing Leaks Contribute to Pest Control Issues
Bugs and rodents go wherever there is water. If you have a leak under your house it will attract pests. If the wood stays wet from a leak it will entice wood lice and termites. Leaking tubs and shower drains, especially shower pans, seem to invite the highest concentration of ants and termites. Likewise, if the wax ring around the bottom of a commode isn’t sealing you are creating a watering hole for a herd of critters every time you flush.
Not only do pests capitalize on water and drainage leaks they actually cause them in some cases. Mice and rats like to chew on the lead bends under commodes in crawl spaces. This is a common cause of plumbing leaks under houses. Rats climbing out of the city sewer into house drains is a common cause of whole house back-ups!
It is a good idea to call a plumber at least once a year to come out and make sure nothing is leaking and inviting new infestations. Likewise, It is a good idea to call a pest control specialist to make sure you don’t have any pests in your crawl space that could be attributed to water.
Photo Credit: Moon Stars and Paper made available through a Creative Commons License
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